Netflix's speed rankings show that video streaming performance on Verizon and Comcast has been dropping for the past three to four months.

The rankings were updated this morning with data from January. Verizon FiOS dropped from sixth to seventh best in the US, swapping places with Time Warner Cable. Comcast stayed in 14th place out of 17 rated providers, while Verizon DSL dropped from 16th to 17th, trading places with Clearwire.

The story is really in how each provider's megabits per second changed from month to month. Verizon FiOS suffered just a tiny drop from 2.22Mbps to 2.2Mbps from October to November, but then it went down to 2.11Mbps in December and 1.82Mbps in January.

(Note that if you want to see a graph containing all ISPs, or get different data sets, check out this Netflix link. The charts in this story were generated using Netflix's tool, which rearranges the values in the y-axis depending on the data being presented. Make sure to check the Mbps numbers in the y-axis when examining each chart.)

Verizon customers have been complaining about poor Netflix performance lately, so the numbers aren't necessarily a surprise. Determining the actual cause of such performance slowdowns is never easy, though. That the latest performance complaints came after Verizon's win over the FCC in a court battle over net neutrality rules led to claims that Verizon was celebrating its victory by throttling Netflix traffic.

Further Reading

One such claim was backed by some traceroutes and a quote from a hapless customer service representative, but we explained last week why that wasn't enough evidence to declare that Verizon is suddenly throttling Netflix as a result of the net neutrality ruling.

Still, that doesn't mean Verizon isn't taking steps that degrade Netflix performance. If anything, the Netflix data shows that Verizon's performance problems started before it got the net neutrality rules overturned. And Verizon and Comcast have each garnered their share of Netflix-related complaints for months, if not years.

Netflix didn't offer any analysis of why performance would have dropped in the past few months. We do know that in the past, Verizon and Comcast have each been involved in disputes with Internet bandwidth providers, and that these disputes can prevent peering infrastructure from being upgraded. This affects all traffic, but it places a more noticeable toll on streaming video because of how much bandwidth it requires.

While the FCC's now-defunct net neutrality rules prevented Verizon from intentionally throttling specific applications, the rules never governed peering. Verizon could always harm Netflix (and other) traffic if it chose to do so simply by failing to upgrade peering infrastructure in a timely manner.

Further Reading

A likely explanation for recent slowdowns is that Netflix usage went up, but peering and transit bandwidth didn't. Verizon and Comcast also haven't joined Netflix's "Open Connect" content delivery network, which can improve Netflix performance by placing video caches closer to customers.

After this story published, one commenter pointed out that the declines in performance came after Netflix started delivering its so-called "Super HD" and 3D video to all customers, even those whose ISPs are not members of Open Connect. This may have increased the traffic load.

Things could get worse for Verizon customers. While Comcast is still bound to follow the FCC's net neutrality rules due to conditions placed on its merger with NBCUniversal, Verizon is under no such obligation. Verizon has readily acknowledged that it would like to charge companies like Netflix for better access to its customers. Degrading performance by failing to upgrade infrastructure is one way Verizon could force Netflix's hand.

In response to Netflix's rankings, Verizon gave Ars this statement:

We state unequivocally that Verizon’s broadband Internet access services deliver a pristine user experience to our customers at any time of day on every day of the week. This has been repeatedly proven through independent testing by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has conclusively demonstrated that FiOS Internet consistently delivers both download and upload speeds in excess of what we advertise. In short, our Internet customers often get more than they pay for.

How the Internet works can be complicated, and consumers should be aware of the fact that the integrity of their home Internet connection is only a portion of the streaming video quality equation. If their broadband connection is functioning correctly, the source of their frustration and the content they wish to see may be one in the same.

Verizon also pointed to a blog post it wrote last year in response to previous complaints, and the company noted that the FCC will be publishing broadband performance results as early as this month.

Comcast has not responded to our request for comment, but stated last month in a customer support forum that "[w]e are aware of these threads and the concerns expressed here. We are actively engaged. It is sensitive and we can't really say more than that right now."

Carrying Netflix traffic requires a lot of infrastructure, as the service accounts for 31.6 percent of all downstream traffic at peak times in North America, according to SandVine. Yet some ISPs have improved their Netflix speeds even as Verizon and Comcast falter. Google Fiber, Cox, and Cablevision in particular have been impressive. The comparisons to better performing ISPs place Verizon and Comcast in a bad light.

Google Fiber wins again

The Netflix data doesn't provide everything we'd want to know about performance. For example, Netflix says its "listed speeds reflect the average performance of all Netflix streams on each ISP's network." Netflix's recommended speeds range from 0.5Mbps for the most basic streams to 3Mbps for DVD quality to 12Mbps for 3D content, but we don't know what percentage of users on each network meets each given threshold.

Still, the performance drops shown by Verizon and Comcast stand out among the rest of the crowd. Few providers dropped in performance in each of the past two months, and those that did showed smaller drops than Verizon and Comcast. For example, Time Warner Cable went from 2.07Mbps in November to 2.02Mbps in December and 2.01Mbps in January. TWC shows an interesting trend, having gotten temporarily better before reverting to its usual, lower performance:

Charter dropped from 2.32Mbps in November to 2.16Mbps in January. Mediacom posted one of the biggest drops of any provider in January, but that came after an improvement in December. AT&T's U-Verse and DSL both stayed steady between November and December before posting drops in January.

Cox, meanwhile, boosted its speed two months in a row. Cablevision has improved steadily 13 months in a row, going from 2.09Mbps in December 2012 to 2.92Mbps in January 2014.

Google Fiber, which has consistently placed at the top of Netflix's US rankings, upped its speeds four months in a row from 3.41Mbps to 3.78Mbps. Yes, sometimes Internet service does actually get better:

Promoted Comments

Verizon and Comcast are clearly still baffled that the measures they took to slow down streaming video for their customers is slowing down streaming video for their customers, and are likely to advise them to "turn their router off and on" again.

"We state unequivocally that Verizon’s broadband Internet access services deliver a pristine user experience to our customers at any time of day on every day of the week. This has been repeatedly proven through independent testing by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has conclusively demonstrated that FiOS Internet consistently delivers both download and upload speeds in excess of what we advertise. In short, our Internet customers often get more than they pay for.

How the Internet works can be complicated, and consumers should be aware of the fact that the integrity of their home Internet connection is only a portion of the streaming video quality equation. If their broadband connection is functioning correctly, the source of their frustration and the content they wish to see may be one in the same."

Nowhere in this smartly worded retort is a denial that they throttle Netflix traffic. If they didn't do so, they'd be sure to trumpet it loudly. So it's likely a VERY safe bet that they do throttle Netflix traffic along with other services.

Verizon and Comcast are clearly still baffled that the measures they took to slow down streaming video for their customers is slowing down streaming video for their customers, and are likely to advise them to "turn their router off and on" again.

Well the Comcast stats certainly ring true with my experience using Netflix over the last three or four months. Where once the service was basically flawless, now I'll be lucky if I experience no instances of stuttering or freezing in a single hour.

I'm really not sure if the problem is contention or what, but I tend to keep my iPad or my laptop nearby, and whenever things get flaky I'll launch a speed test, or do refresh a bunch of web pages. Curiously these never show the same issues, making it look more like sustained traffic, or specific routes that are snarling up somewhere.

I'd blame Comcast, but a) I don't know for sure, and b) what's the point? I can't go anywhere else.

I have FiOS and the Netflix quality has dropped precipitously since I moved into my new home in October.

I've been streaming Futurama recently, which is a standard-def show and fairly simple from a video compression standpoint (plenty of big flat colors!) and it's commonplace for it to get pixellated and it's even buffered a few times on a connection that registers at 30+ MBPS

That the latest performance complaints came after Verizon's win over the FCC in a court battle over net neutrality rules led to claims that Verizon was celebrating its victory by throttling Netflix traffic.

I noticed the dropoff around the time Verizon was rejecting that free Netflix box because they wanted to charge Netflix per bit. I don't think Verizon ever gave a rats ass about net neutrality in practice, it was just something for their lawyers to overturn eventually.

Not that we'll ever see it, but I'm really curious to see some information regarding the movement of this traffic between service providers. What if 50% of all Netflix traffic passed through Verizon, which would easily explain the drop for their subscription-paying end-users? That wouldn't paint the whole picture, but could add a lot of context to why actual user speed may vary.

I've noticed Charter stuttering a bit on a consistently 30+mbps this past month, but it's impossible to know whether it's Charter's fault or not. The ISPs will never actually tell us where the traffic bottlenecks are, and until then most of this is ultimately speculation (as interesting as this data is).

"And for the very reasonable $19.99 a month, we can make netflix faster for you".

Not at all. The notice will come from Netflix and look something like this.

"We have been forced to raise your fees by $3/month to pay for acceptable network service from your ISP. We deeply regret these fees but have no choice. If you disagree with this, please contact your representative in Congress and tweet with hashtag #FCCsavethenet."

"We state unequivocally that Verizon’s broadband Internet access services deliver a pristine user experience to our customers at any time of day on every day of the week. This has been repeatedly proven through independent testing by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has conclusively demonstrated that FiOS Internet consistently delivers both download and upload speeds in excess of what we advertise. In short, our Internet customers often get more than they pay for.

How the Internet works can be complicated, and consumers should be aware of the fact that the integrity of their home Internet connection is only a portion of the streaming video quality equation. If their broadband connection is functioning correctly, the source of their frustration and the content they wish to see may be one in the same."

Nowhere in this smartly worded retort is a denial that they throttle Netflix traffic. If they didn't do so, they'd be sure to trumpet it loudly. So it's likely a VERY safe bet that they do throttle Netflix traffic along with other services.

"And for the very reasonable $19.99 a month, we can make netflix faster for you".

Not at all. The notice will come from Netflix and look something like this.

"We have been forced to raise your fees by $3/month to pay for acceptable network service from your ISP. We deeply regret these fees but have no choice. If you disagree with this, please contact your representative in Congress and tweet with hashtag #FCCsavethenet."

I'm a Comcast subscriber, and used to have flawless Netflix connectivity with videos buffering in HD within seconds. Over the last few months this has degraded to where I don't get HD on videos at all. It's been even worse with Youtube. Following the suggestion of many commentators here, I signed up for a VPN service. Suddenly everything is great again.

"We state unequivocally that Verizon’s broadband Internet access services deliver a pristine user experience to our customers at any time of day on every day of the week. This has been repeatedly proven through independent testing by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has conclusively demonstrated that FiOS Internet consistently delivers both download and upload speeds in excess of what we advertise. In short, our Internet customers often get more than they pay for.

How the Internet works can be complicated, and consumers should be aware of the fact that the integrity of their home Internet connection is only a portion of the streaming video quality equation. If their broadband connection is functioning correctly, the source of their frustration and the content they wish to see may be one in the same."

Nowhere in this smartly worded retort is a denial that they throttle Netflix traffic. If they didn't do so, they'd be sure to trumpet it loudly. So it's likely a VERY safe bet that they do throttle Netflix traffic along with other services.

I came here to say that. It is kinda like when you ask a politician a question.

Anecdotally, the listed rates are accurate for prime-time viewing on Comcast in the Chicago suburbs. 06:30 CST on a Saturday, however, can see rates of 21Mbps (I pay for 25Mbps service). I've moved my HD content consumption to early mornings.

Hopefully things will improve slightly after I'm able to see grass again. My lawn has been snow-covered for months, as has every other yard in my area.

This is the result of not enough competition, bandwidth is getting cheaper yet we keep getting fucked. More caps & video stream throttling, anything to make that extra buck. There is not much can I do when I have two options to get the speed I get Mediacom or Frontier. I could stop buying internet but I would loose my sanity "whats left of it" in a few days.

I'm on Comcast in Houston, and I can confirm that when I use a VPN/proxy through a hosted server (in Dallas) I get near instantaneous HD content on Netflix. I frequently get degraded or choppy performance otherwise. Unfortunately I don't have unlimited bandwidth on my hosted server.

I find these statistics kind of interesting when taken with the e-mail I received yesterday from redbox. It was advertising a new streaming video service, redbox instant by Verizon. This seems to me like a good plan for a company that is basically a de facto monopoly..

and Kansas City, i think it is, wants to stop local fiber networks start ups from happening. not to keep the local cable companies in control though, oh no! just to keep the people from getting a good, fast, stable service instead of the heap of shit they're getting atm! and equally, of course, no politician will get a fat, brown envelope full of Benjamins either. yeah, like hell they they wont!!

I don't think so, no. They're trying to push the payment side onto the service providers, to force them to raise their prices, so they will be less competitive with their own content services.

It's not that they don't want your money, they do. But they want to hurt upstarts like Netflix at the same time, and do so without making themselves look like the bad guys.

They wouldn't happen at the same time. But knowing the way ISPs want to operate, a few months after they start collecting extra cash from Netflix they'll turn around and ask for more from consumers to "Improve your individual Netflix experience." Barring any net neutrality progress, assuming.

I'm really not sure if the problem is contention or what, but I tend to keep my iPad or my laptop nearby, and whenever things get flaky I'll launch a speed test, or do refresh a bunch of web pages. Curiously these never show the same issues, making it look more like sustained traffic, or specific routes that are snarling up somewhere.

I see the same thing on CenturyLink DSL. I have 7Mbps service, and every time I run a speed test I get at least that (upto 7.8 Mbps). When I start playing a Netflix video on my Roku it initially selects the 3.xMbps stream (have have debugging turned on to show this info), but without fail after a few minutes it has to buffer again and drops down to the 1.x Mbps stream, and on bad nights this will repeat and it will drop down to the 0.5 Mbps stream. This happens mid-day as well as in the evening, so it's not just a prime-time congestion issue.

I don't know if it is my Roku, wireless router, or modem overheating after some time, or if CenturyLink gives higher priority to short-term connections, to speed up email and web browsing at the expense of streaming, or if they are intentionally gaming the speed test connections.